31 October 2014: At last night’s Foxtel MCN Upfronts event, Multi Channel Network (MCN) unveiled a series of market-leading developments for 2015 to strengthen its position as Australia’s most advanced multi-screen trading and data-led sales network. The new developments are:

·MCN’s Landmark trading platform will enter its next phase with the introduction of Dynamic Scheduling, a new dynamic trading model which facilitates the trading of real consumer audiences rather than traditional TV spots.

·Tech.Ops XP – A new operational team focused on cross platform technology and innovation, to further unify MCN’s multi-screen asset base.

MCN CEO, Anthony Fitzgerald, said the new platforms, combined with the recent Quantium partnership, are part of MCN’s strategy to deliver advertisers optimal campaign results, based upon highly targeted consumer audiences rather than fixed spot placement.

“These developments will continue to evolve the subscription television industry and put MCN at the forefront of the changes within the overall media landscape. Through our new platforms we have the most effective and efficient mass targeting television product ever seen in Australia. Advertisers will be able to purchase actual consumer segments, based upon real purchasing behavior, instead of focusing purely on traditional age and gender demographics,” said Mr Fitzgerald.

Programmatic TV Marketplace

Scheduled to launch in early 2015, the MCN Programmatic TV marketplace is a combined interface between AOL Platforms’ Adap.tv and Australia’s most sophisticated TV trading platform, Landmark.

It will be the world’s first integrated programmatic private exchange for Linear TV,incorporating MCN’s TV inventory across their channel brands with online video from their rich array of digital assets, all traded from a single platform/interface. The tool will also combine MCN’s Multiview data, allowing advertisers to plan, buy and optimize against real consumer segments.

MCN Group Sales & Marketing Director, Mark Frain, commented, “MCN’s programmatic TV marketplace is a significant change in the way television can be traded in Australia. It opens up a whole new world of possibility to better align our linear TV and IP Video products.

“MCN is making Australian television inventory available for purchase through programmatic channels, enabling advertising clients to make more data-driven decisions in extending the value of their TV buys through highly targeted audiences.”

Dynamic Scheduling

To further advance MCN’s linear TV trading, MCN has launched the second phase of Landmark, Dynamic Scheduling. Through a sophisticated, algorithm driven, dynamic

scheduling engine, MCN can more effectively target consumers by optimizing campaign placement as close as possible to the time of broadcast. Landmark’s Dynamic Scheduling allows MCN to quickly respond to changes in daily and weekly viewing habits, ensuring MCN delivers optimal campaign results for advertisers. This new dynamic trading model will enable MCN to fulfil its ambition to start trading real consumer audiences rather than just traditional TV spots.

Multiview XP, announced last night, will be an extension to the existing Multiview television audience offering to incorporate multi-screen data and data sets. Multiview XP will enable MCN to analyse real consumer behaviour beyond television audiences to incorporate their multi-screen assets and beyond.

Multiview XP will be utilised throughout the whole advertising process. Providing detailed insights into audiences at the strategy and ideas stages; granular segmentation for increased efficacy during implementation; and thorough measurement during and post the campaign.

Mr Frain said: “Our new data brand, Multiview XP, will provide our partners and clients with unrivalled planning and targeting opportunities across our multi-screen portfolio. MCN, once again, is paving the way for the future.

“Finding a cross platform campaign that fits with a client’s brand and business objectives will be an entirely different proposition with Multiview XP. Whether the content is sport, lifestyle, general entertainment, drama or news, Multiview XP will provide us with detailed programme segmentation so we understand exactly what their typical purchasing and consumer behaviour is.”

MCN Team changes:

As part of MCN’s emphasis on bringing TV and online closer together, MCN has announced structural changes to the team. This includes merging the television operations department with its digital ad operations team to create a new cross-platform focused unit called Tech.Ops XP.

The new team of 40 staff will be led by Operations and Systems Development Director,Angela Goodsir, who has been part of the MCN business for 12 years. Most recently Ms Goodsir led the team which implemented Landmark.

As part of the company changes, MCN’s Insights and Analytics team have merged their TV and digital research, creating unified insights and data products. This team will be led by Murray Love, Insights and Analytics Director, who has been with MCN for 15 years. Gareth Jones will join the Insights and Analytics team as the new National Insights and Strategy Manager. Mr Jones, who has been with MCN for two years, will be focused upon delivering audience insights, which drive multi-screens solutions for advertisers.

MCN’s finance team will take over TV and digital reporting, becoming a multiscreen reporting unit for all of MCN’s partners. This will be headed by Shaun Rafferty, MCN’s Head of Finance. Mr Rafferty will be tasked with delivering a holistic reporting tool for MCN’s portfolio of 70 television channels, 138 websites, 69 mobile sites, 59 apps, 4 IPTV services and digital out of home partners.

Established in 1997, MCN is a joint venture between FOXTEL and FOX SPORTS. MCN is responsible for the advertising interests of 70 television channel brands, 138 websites, 69 m-sites/optimised mobile sites, 59 apps, 4 IPTV services and 3 Digital-Out-Home locations. MCN delivers optimum campaign results for clients by combining high value audiences with an unmatched choice of premium content. MCN specialises in creative solutions, which bring life to ideas and deliver clients a better advertising experience. In addition to being the third largest television network in Australia by commercial audience, MCN has Australia's largest combined online and mobile network in Australia with a monthly online reach of 8.4m unique audiences and a monthly mobile audience of 4.7m. For more information:www.MCN.com.au

12 September 2014: Multi Channel Network (MCN) today announced a major integrated campaign between Singapore Airlines and Sound Alliance’s award winning pop-culture site Junkee. Working in partnership with media agency MEC, “The Storytellers” campaign will target millennials through an Australia-wide competition running from mid-September.

The competition forms another pillar to Singapore Airlines’ extensive campaign to promote its Singapore hub for both transit and stopover passengers, which has been featured across media including out of home and print, for the past 12 months.

The competition will see four aspiring journalists win the opportunity to become Junkee ‘storytellers’, travelling to four exotic destinations on the Singapore Airlines network and documenting their most inspiring experiences. Armed with a camera, a notebook and an inquisitive mind, these four storytellers will experience complete culture immersion during the week of a lifetime.

With constant social and video updates from the travellers throughout their journey, all content will be hosted on a dedicated hub within the Junkee website. The four final stories can be told via video, photos and/or words, the only criteria being that they must be inspiring, thought-provoking and insightful for young Australian travellers. The stories will premiere at exclusive screening events across Australia.

The competition is extended with readers able to vote for their favourite story of the four, with each voter going in a draw to win a trip to the featured destination, thanks to Singapore Airlines. The final winner will receive $4000, and the opportunity to become a Junkee contributor.

MCN National Multiply Integration Director, Elizabeth Minogue, said: “We are thrilled to announce such a ground-breaking campaign between two powerful yet diverse brands, Singapore Airlines and Junkee. Working with the MEC team, we are combining the strengths of two different brands to create a unique, content-led campaign, which truly engages the 16-29 year old target market.”

Sound Alliance CEO, Neil Ackland, said: “We know from our youth research that travel experiences are the most desired things for 16-29 year old Australians, so it is exciting to be able to work with a brand like Singapore Airlines on a content-led campaign that provides an opportunity for creative minds to have and share amazing travel experiences. We know there are incredibly creative and talented young people out there and we look forward to discovering them and creating some amazing content on Junkee.”

Singapore Airlines’ Senior Manager Marketing and Alliances Australia, Dale Woodhouse, said: “We are excited to be launching this next phase in our campaign and to be able to further promote all of the incredible benefits available to travellers when flying through the world’s best hub, Singapore. We are passionate about travel and feel that the ease with which it is possible to connect through Singapore to some of the world’s most interesting destinations available on our extensive network is something that is of enormous value to the millennial traveller. We look forward to seeing the inspiring stories created from the once in a lifetime experience provided to the finalists of this competition.”

To apply to be one of the four travelling storytellers, budding writers can submit 250 words or less on why they should be selected for the prize on www.junkee.com from 15th September.

Established in 1997, MCN is a joint venture between FOXTEL and FOX SPORTS. MCN is responsible for the advertising interests of 69 television channel brands, 138 websites, 69 m-sites/optimised mobile sites, 59 apps, 4 IPTV services and Digital-Out-Home locations. MCN delivers optimum campaign results for clients by combining high value audiences with an unmatched choice of premium content. MCN specialises in creative solutions, which brings life to ideas and deliver clients a better advertising experience. In addition to being the third largest television network in Australia by commercial audience, MCN has Australia's largest combined online and mobile network in Australia with a monthly online reach of 8.4m unique audiences and a monthly mobile audience of 4.7m. For more information: www.MCN.com.au

About Sound Alliance

Sound Alliance is Australia’s leading youth content publisher. The Sydney-based business owns and operates FasterLouder, inthemix, Same Same, Mess+Noise and Junkee.com, and represents titles Pitchfork, NME and The Hype Machine. Together, these titles have a combined monthly UB audience of more than 1.5 million and offer brands a gateway to 18-29 year old Australians. Sound Alliance are the pioneers of native advertising in Australia, and specialise in the conception, creation, amplification and measurement of engaging digital media content for the youth market. www.thesoundalliance.net

About Junkee:

Junkee is the 2014 Mumbrella Brand of the year. It is Australia’s newest pop culture title, covering film, TV, politics, style, online and everything in between. The content Junkee creates each day is designed to go beyond the headline, to inform, intrigue, provoke and occasionally make the audience laugh.

Australian Pop Culture with brains – Junkee.com is changing the game. Pioneering a new way of merging brands and content, as one of the first publishers aiming to get ‘native advertising’ right.

About Singapore Airlines:

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is one of Australia’s longest serving foreign carriers and currently operates a total of 114 flights per week from six capital cities to Singapore, including regional wing SilkAir from Darwin, connecting to a network spanning 37 countries. SIA has unveiled a suite of competitive products to drive greater value for Australian customers, including S$40 vouchers for customers transiting through Changi, an expanded Singapore Stopover Holiday package, as well as regular promotional fares for customers across Australia. The roll out of the alliance with Virgin Australia continues, with SIA codeshare to 41 domestic destinations and VA codeshare and interline to a total of 89 destinations across the SilkAir/Singapore Airlines network.

6 November, 2014: Multi Channel Network (MCN) today announced Mercedes-Benz as a multi-platform partner for Sky News, including the first inflight advertising partner for Sky News coverage, on all Qantas domestic flights from Monday to Friday.

The partnership starts this month and runs until early 2015. Mercedes-Benz will also carry a broadcast campaign on Sky News, across the same period.

The advertising partnership includes billboard and TVCs, along with category exclusivity throughout the Sky News updates, which broadcast throughout the Qantas domestic flights.

MCN National Director of Multiply Integration and Content Partnerships, Elizabeth Minogue, said the relationship delivers a targeted multi-screen campaign to Mercedes-Benz’s core audience.

“As one of the world’s most prestigious brands, Mercedes-Benz is a highly appropriate multi-screen partner for Sky News and in particular the channel’s Qantas inflight entertainment content,” she said. “Mercedes-Benz want to target high value business travellers and through our consumer data and insights we were able show how a multi-screen campaign with Sky News on Qantas domestic flights would deliver on Mercedes’ objectives in 2015.”

Lachlan Jones, Managing Director Foundation, said: “Mercedes-Benz is thrilled to be Sky News’ first commercial partner across Qantas inflight entertainment. The partnership ensures we will engage with our target audience for Mercedes-Benz through multiple and regular touch points across the Qantas entertainment system.”

From 1 November 2014, SKY NEWS commenced as the exclusive supplier for inflight news with Foxtel as content partners. Advertising sales are represented exclusively by MCN for all Qantas inflight video, both domestically and overseas.

Established in 1997, MCN is a joint venture between FOXTEL and FOX SPORTS. MCN is responsible for the advertising interests of 70 television channel brands, 138 websites, 69 m-sites/optimised mobile sites, 59 apps, 4 IPTV services and 3 Digital-Out-Home locations. MCN delivers optimum campaign results for clients by combining high value audiences with an unmatched choice of premium content. MCN specialises in creative solutions, which bring life to ideas and deliver clients a better advertising experience. In addition to being the third largest television network in Australia by commercial audience, MCN has Australia's largest combined online and mobile network in Australia with a monthly online reach of 8.4m unique audiences and a monthly mobile audience of 4.7m. For more information:www.MCN.com.au

7th November 2014, Brisbane, QLD: The multi-trillion dollar opportunity posed by more open use of government and private sector data will be high on the agenda at the G20 ICT Industry Forum, a gathering of leading technologists and futurists, taking place in Brisbane on 10 November.

The benefits of ‘Open Data’ – or, adopting more open policies around government and private sector information sharing – are conservatively valued at US $13 trillion in the next five years for G20 economies and around $16 billion to the Australian economy alone, according to a recent report[1]. This figure represents more than half of the two per cent growth target the G20 set itself in February 2014.

Held at Brisbane City Hall just a few days ahead of the official G20 Summit, the forum will explore an action strategy around Open Data and discuss the future of ICT within Australia and throughout the world. The forum has been organised by the Council of ICT Associations Australia (CICTA) in partnership with Australian Computer Society (ACS) Queensland branch.

Dr Tate said the Open Data discussion was a priority agenda item for the forum because it is a relatively simple but high impact way for world economies to create huge cost and resource efficiencies – as well as staggering social and economic outcomes.

“It was a very deliberate decision to stage this forum in the same week as the official G20 event – we believe the topics under discussion at our forum are critically important to our world governments.”

Dr Tate said some of the ideas being discussed at the forum include the ability for open data policies to assist in job matching and the future ability to make better use of business tax payment records to inform governments and the private sector about the state of the economy.

“When companies pay their GST and other taxes, they record their activity and that generates very useful data on consumption, exports and investment,”Dr Tate said.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the professional association for Australia's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Over 20,000 ACS members work in business, education, government and the community. The Society exists to create the environment and provide the opportunities for members and partners to succeed. The ACS strives for ICT professionals to be recognised as drivers of innovation in our society, relevant across all sectors, and to promote the formulation of effective policies on ICT and related matters. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.

[1]'Open for Business: How Open Data can help achieve the G20 growth target' by Lateral Economics is the first study to quantify and illustrate the potential of Open Data to help achieve the G20's 2% growth target.

15 October, 2014: The Australian Computer Society (ACS) today welcomed the focus on technology skills in Australian Government’s National Industry Investment and Competitiveness Agenda, and its commitment to increased innovation as a significant step forward. However, the ACS has renewed its calls for increased digital literacy programs for SMEs and a broader commitment from Government towards mandating computer coding as a foundation skill in education.

ACS CEO Alan Patterson said the Competitiveness report reinforces the clear link between a digitally skilled workforce and Australia’s global economic success, and features three key reforms that are critical to the development of such a workforce:

·The promotion of STEM subjects in schools

·The introduction of a ‘Coding across the curriculum’ programme to enhance computer programming skills across the curriculum

·The Government’s focus on the VET system on meeting industry needs

Mr Patterson applauded the report but said it lacks focus on digital literacy for small and medium enterprises, which the ACS has been calling for to help improve our economic performance.

“SMEs are the backbone of our economy and key to many of our future global endeavours,” he said. “Small and medium businesses need practical advice and assistance to understand both their workforce needs, particularly around ICT skills, as well as understanding what digital technologies can do for business growth and productivity and how they can build these technologies into their businesses.

“As recommended in our Innovation submission, SMEs need to embrace ICT products and services as critical elements of the business that drives innovation and builds competitive advantage. We would like to see Government to help increase this awareness with more facilitative programs to educate SMEs about ICT tools and the importance of having an online presence. We need a vastly improved national broadband infrastructure capable of supporting SME growth.

“SME leaders and entrepreneurs, including high-growth start-up CEO’s also need to have ‘work ready’ tech skills – in other words, they need to be able to walk into a meeting and give a presentation, or deal face to face with a client on a technical topic with a working understanding of that topic.

“The Government’s focus on VET is incredibly important to ensuring we have an appropriately skilled workforce. However, we need more focus on skills and competencies, particularly ICT competencies, rather than just a traditional focus on qualifications and occupations.

“We commend Government for their focus on STEM in schools but the ACS would like to see more focus on technology. Whilst mathematics is hugely important, particularly for coding, we also need to think about the here and now. We need more people to better understand technology and how to apply it in the short term,” he said.

Whilst commending the coding in schools initiative, the ACS also called for further attention to digital literacy programs for teachers as well as students.

“The $3.5m funding initiative for coding is most welcome, it’s a powerful step in the right direction, however much more needs to be done,” Mr Patterson said. “We must recognise basic coding as a foundation skill and build it into the national curriculum. This needs to start at a young age, so that our students are better prepared and equipped to compete globally, as other countries such as the UK have these programs in place.

“With a focus on technology for students in schools means we need better professional development for teachers in the technology space. The ACS argued for this in our submission to the review, and stands ready to assist the Government in providing this additional training.

“The ACS is a firm supporter of Australia’s need for employee share option regulations to encourage start-ups, as the UK does. We need to redeploy inefficient innovation funding models with tax incentives for angel investment in Australian start-ups and Australian intellectual property creation (with benefits contingent on IP remaining in Australia).

“ICT is uniquely dynamic – and will remain that way for the foreseeable future.Many of today’s young people will work in jobs nobody has even heard of today.This requires a lifelong approach to skills and education in the technology area.Reskilling and retraining may be important for those who are seeking new opportunities at home or abroad.

“To provide an appropriate pipeline of skilled workers, we urgently need to reverse the declining trend of people choosing to study ICT.This will require a mix of changing the misconceptions and attitudes as to what a career as an ICT professional can offer, plus greater collaboration between the training and education sectors, employers, and the professional body to ensure our ICT skills base matches economy needs.

“In the longer term we must develop a long-term employment plan for Australia, which maps our human capital and the extent to which it matches our economic and skills needs.

“The ACS applauds Government for identifying innovation as a key ambition but we maintain the appointment of a Chief Innovator is key to our achievements in this area. As highlighted in our Innovation Submission, having an empowered role dedicated solely to innovation – similar to that of the Chief Scientist – would allow for the comprehensive development of an Innovation System and the successful implementation of many recommendations in the report. This would need to be based on joined-up and cohesive policies and programs, which are properly resourced and targeted. It needs to be someone who is not shackled by bureaucratic processes and can make recommendations directly to the Prime Minister.

“The ACS also welcomes the roundtable discussions being initiated by the Government on the Competitiveness agenda and we look forward to participating in them,” said Mr Patterson.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the professional association for Australia's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Over 20,000 ACS members work in business, education, government and the community. The Society exists to create the environment and provide the opportunities for members and partners to succeed. The ACS strives for ICT professionals to be recognised as drivers of innovation in our society, relevant across all sectors, and to promote the formulation of effective policies on ICT and related matters. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.

13 October 2014: The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has welcomed the report into the ACARA curriculum review, and its consideration of the technologies & ICT learning area.

However, the ACS has expressed concern in the recommendation that the technologies learning area not be introduced until year 9. This recommendation, should it be adopted, would place Australian students at a significant disadvantage against students from the UK, who will be learning technology and ICT from the Foundation level.

Given the global nature of the Information & Communications Technology sector, the ACS believes it is critical that students are given, at the very least, education in digital literacy, including basic coding, from an early age, so that they are better prepared for technology education further along in their educational journey.

ACS CEO Alan Patterson said: “It is pleasing to see the report also recognises that better professional development is required for teachers in the technology space. The ACS argued for this in our submission to the review, and stands ready to assist the Government in providing this additional training.”

“While there is a view that ICT contributes to a crowded curriculum, the ACS will continue to argue that ICT is a fundamental and critical curriculum area that should form the core of the curriculum, along with numeracy and literacy, as the economy and jobs market becomes increasingly digitally focused.

“While it is good to see improved recognition of technology in the report, it stops short of recommending that students be given a technology education from early in their schooling life. By year 9, students will have already missed critical opportunities to build their digital literacy and capability.”

“Just last week the ACS held our Young IT Conference, YITcon, in Melbourne. It was attended by almost 1,000 secondary and tertiary students over two days, and was a demonstration that ICT is a critical part of any education for the future. The overwhelming message from the leading industry experts, innovators and entrepreneurs who appeared at YITcon was that digital education, including basic coding, is an absolute necessity from an early age.”

“If we don’t step in today and start providing the right digital education from a young age, we are at risk of having a generation of school leavers who will miss out on the education they need to be the innovators, entrepreneurs and digital leaders of tomorrow. It is these students who will lead the economy in years to come. We owe it to them to give them the very best chance.”

“Some of the recommendations are a small step in the right direction, but what our curriculum needs is a giant leap into the future.”

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the professional association for Australia's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Over 20,000 ACS members work in business, education, government and the community. The Society exists to create the environment and provide the opportunities for members and partners to succeed. The ACS strives for ICT professionals to be recognised as drivers of innovation in our society, relevant across all sectors, and to promote the formulation of effective policies on ICT and related matters. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.

16 August 2014: The Australian Computer Society (ACS) today announced the speakers for its youth festival of ICT, YITCON 2014. The two-day event brings together students and young professionals interested in ICT careers, to learn from industry experts and world-class presenters about leading edge technological change and the digital future.

With a theme of ‘changing minds’, the conference highlights the importance of developing innovative skills for the future, and the evolving nature of the ICT eco-system.

Speakers include:

·Ross Dawson, Leading Futurist, who will talk about the skills needed for jobs in the future;

·Will Deane, the Managing Director of ExTo Partners, whoinvests in early stage Australian businesses, on backing start-ups;

·Sheng Yeo, Founder of OrionVM, the developer of disruptive Cloud DC platform challenging giants such as Amazon, on digital entrepreneurship;

·Naomi Henn, serialentrepreneur, whose ventures include TapIn, an SAAS drag and drop platform to build your own apps for events​, on being a young female leader in ICT, soft skills and social good.

ACS CEO Alan Patterson said:“Today’s student population will drive our digital future, and digital outcomes will power our future economy. YITCON is about ensuring Australia’s young people can compete globally and secure and create the jobs of the future – whether that be as technology professionals, technology entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs or C-suite executives.

“Our next generation workforce will look nothing like today’s workforce – our young technology professionals will be working under job titles and within industry sectors that are yet to be invented. What we do know, is there will be a world of opportunity for those equipped with a broad base of technology skills and understanding, coupled with soft skills such as the ability to communicate and present well and to negotiate with, lead and manage teams.

“YITCON will help get the next generation of digital leaders excited about technology and innovation, and the possibilities that lie ahead of them. It’s also about preparing them for the digital future and giving them a taste of what’s to come,” he said.

The ACS will be welcoming 400 secondary school students for the ‘Digital Entrepreneurship’ segment, giving them the opportunity to learn from leading entrepreneurs to start their own businesses.

YITCON will be held 9 and 10 October 2014 at The Forum in Melbourne. The event will include a ‘Digital Innovations Showcase’ with demonstrations, a hands-on interactive ‘Technology & Gadgets Experience’ as well as networking opportunities.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the professional association for Australia's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Over 20,000 ACS members work in business, education, government and the community. The Society exists to create the environment and provide the opportunities for members and partners to succeed. The ACS strives for ICT professionals to be recognised as drivers of innovation in our society, relevant across all sectors, and to promote the formulation of effective policies on ICT and related matters. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.